Combined massaging and brushing implement



July 3, 1956 E021. SITUPF'E- 2 INVENTOR. "mm

July 3, 1956 s, TUPPER 2,752,623

COMBINED MASSAGING AND BRUSHING IMPLEMENT Filed Oct. 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

EQRL s. TUPPER 17?"; BY

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United States Patent COMBINED MASSAGIN G AND BRUSHING IMPLEMENT Earl S. Tapper, Upton, Mass. Application October 8, 1953, Serial No. 384,973 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-111) This invention relates generally to implements for use in hair brushing, hair massaging, hair combing, body massaging, and removal of superfluous skin hair, blackheads and the like, but more specifically to a combination non-pulling, non-abrading and non-toxic implement formed of a resilient and deformable plastic material having cooperating structural elements capable of serving several selective functions.

The implement comprises a central wall formed with a plurality of spaced and projecting fingers on one side, and a plurality of spaced and parallelly disposed blade members formed on the opposite side, said blade and finger members serving cooperatingly for use in scalp and body massaging, hair brushing, shampooing and combing, as a superfluous hair remover, as a remover for blackheads and other skin-imbedded bodies, and as a drain type of support for a cake of soap.

Accordingly, the main object of the invention resides in the provision of a non-abrading, light, handy and nontoxic implement for use as a shampoo brush, scalp stimulator, hair brush, comb, drain-type of soap holder, face and body blade-type skin stimulator capable of service in removal of superfluous hair, blackheads or other skinimbedded impurities without imposing pain, injury, irritation, scratching or abrasion.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a multiple use device easily manipulated by the hand of the operator and which is easily formed and cleaned, is durable, which has little tendency to pull, break or split the hair or impose injury, irritation or abrasion to the skin and which is for wet or dry application to the body parts with or without detergent fluids and other bodyapplied compounds.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a device wherein all the structural elements are made from polyethylene or other plastic material having the same physical characteristics, which is light in weight, unbreakable, odorless, chemically inert, unaffected by sects and which is locally deformable to yield to body conformation.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of an implement which may be molded by compression, injection, air or vacuum molding, and which is economical to manufacture, safe, pleasant and efficient in operation.

Other incidental ends and features of the invention will hereinafter appear in the progress of the disclosure and as pointed out in the appended claims.

Accompanying this specification are drawings showing a preferred form of the invention wherein:

Figure l is a view in perspective showing the implement having projecting fingers on one side of the base wall and having a plurality of scraper blades on the opposite side thereof.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of Figure 1 across the plane 3-3 thereof.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective showing the use of the device as a superfluous hair remover.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective showing the device in use as applied to the scalp for massaging.

Figure 6a is a perspective view of the device used as a drain-type of soap holder supported on the scraper blades, while Figure 6b shows the cake of soap supported on the finger tips.

In accordance with the invention and the preferred form shown, the device as indicated generally by numeral 10 comprises a base or intermediate wall 11 dimensioned in thickness and area to serve as a resilient and locally distortable membrane and as an anchorage for a plurality of projecting teeth each indicated by numeral 12 on one side and for a plurality of projecting scraper blades each indicated by numeral 13 on the opposite side.

The device above described is preferably formed integrally by any type of molding process from polyethylene or like substance having similar physical characteristics as above mentioned.

In connection with each of the blades 13, scraping edges 14 and 15 are provided on the exposed longitudinal wall 16. The use of a plurality of scraper blades amplifies the effect of the device for purposes hereafter mentioned.

Each of the blades 13 is capable of flexing about the base 11 thereof upon reciprocal movement along body parts while the base itself is also yieldable about its longitudinal axis as seen in Figure 4. In addition and by virtue of the locally deformable characteristics of the material of the device longitudinal flexing takes place along the scraper members 13 adjacent the body contacting walls 14.

As a result of the above considerations, application of the device at the craper blade portions 13 to the body safe removal of imbedded skin impurities such as blackheads, callous and the like. Controlled pressure and movements of the blades against the alfected body areas force ejection of such impurities. Moreover, on application of an abrasive to body areas, a painless sanding action is eflected with the blades, immediately removing superadjacent ones. Each of the fingers 12 is preferably tapered and rounded at the ends as at 17 for contact with the scalp and to reduce sliding friction therewith.

Each of the fingers 12 has a triple flex when used. A flexing takes place with respect to base 11 at the junction therewith; a flexing takes place along the longitudinal axis and a flexing takes place adjacent the end 12. Moreover, base 11 itself flexes as shown in Figure 5 for conformation of the finger-tip plane with the scalp; the same type of flexing and for the same purposes takes place on base 11 when blades 13 are used as seen in Figure 4.

As a result, a scalp massage, hair brushing and hair base 11 flexes in convex combing implement is provided which is safe, non-irritating, comfortable and efficient in operation.

It is to be noted that the end blades of the device are disposed inwardly of the longitudinal edges of base 11 thereby leaving finger gripping edges 18 and 19 for manipulation of the device and it is between these edges that formation upon use. Thus, neither the blades 13 nor the fingers 12 are affected in function by the finger gripping action of the device.

The blade members 13 serve to give base wall 11 rigidity areas along the junctions for controlling the deformability and flexing thereof when the bristles 12 are used for the hair and the scalp whereby differential yieldability is efiected along the plane of contact between the finger ends 17 and the hair and scalp.

When the implement stands on a support either from finger tips 12 or from blade walls 16, it serves as a drain type of standfor a cake of soap such as 20.

The device described herein is not limited to the bodies of humans, but may also many fields of industry such as the textile, leather and hide business where gentle hand scrubbing, cleaning and removal of superfluous skin elements are required.

I wish it understood that minor changes and variations in the relative size, shape, integration, material and dimensions of parts may all be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An implement for hair brushing, hair combing, body massaging, and removal of skin impurities, blackheads and superfluous skin hair, comprising a fiat base wall, a plurality of prearranged and spaced relatively high fingers projecting from one side of said flat base wall and a plurality of elongated parallel and spaced relatively high reinforcing blades projecting from the other side of said wall and proceeding along the full length thereof to control the flexing of the base wall, the end blades being be applied to animals and in adjacent and inwardly disposed from the longitudinal edges of the said base wall for gripping during application of said fingers, the said wall, fingers and scraper members being integrally formed of resilient and locally distortable material for conformability and surface contact with the body areas, said well being capable of fiexure in either direction about an axis parallel with said blades.

2. In an implement adapted for hair brushing, hair combing, body massaging, and removal of skin impurities, blackheads and superfluous skin hair, comprising a fiat base wall, a plurality of relatively high scraper blades integrally formed with the said wall and running along the full length thereof and being disposed and spaced in parallel relationship so that the distance between the blades exceeds the height thereof, the end blades being disposed adjacent and inwardly of the longitudinal edges of the base wall, said blades and base Wall being integrally formed of resilient and locally distortable material for conformability and surface contact with the body areas, said wall being capable of flexure in either direction about an axis parallel with said blades.

3. An implement as set forth in claim 2 wherein the base wall and blade members are integrally formed of polyethylene.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 539,698 Milligan May 21, 1895 1,554,510 Kirby Sept. 22, 1925 2,892,068 Metzler Dec. 27, 1932 2,219,436 Anderson Oct. 29, 1940 2,583,750 Runnels Jan. 29, 1952 2,607,064 Sullivan Aug. 19, 1952 2,637,870 Cohen May 12, 1953 2,645,804 Gantz July 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 981,266 France Jan. 10, 1951 

